Overview

This experience has taught me a lot about myself, about others and about components within Occupational Therapy. I now view activities that i am involved in, especially cooking, in a new exciting way. Although many activities can be considered to be in more than one category that we discussed throughout this course, it is important to remember its main purpose in life and why we as individuals need to be apart of it.

I have now been able to make comments to the following students blogs
Kendyl
Janine
Judith
Shilmoni

Thanks to everyone who has made comments on my blog posts. The feedback is very useful.
These are the references that i used throughout this blog:

Arendt, H. (1958). The human condition (2nd ed.). Chicago: Chicago University Press.

Ephron, N. (Director). (2009). Julie and Julia [Motion picture]. United States: Columbia Pictures.

Green, T. F. (1968). Work, leisure and the American schools. New York: Random House.

Hagedorn, R. (2000). Tools for practice in occupational therapy: A structures approach to core skills and processes. London: Churchill Livingstone.

Lawson, N. (2004). Feast:Food that celebrates life. London: Chatto & Windus.(this quote was also presented in BT127001 lecture notes)

Sunderland, J. (2010). Adaptive living occupation: BT127001 [Lecture notes]. Dunedin, New Zealand: Otago Polytechnic, Department of Occupational Therapy.

Sunderland, J. (2011). Participation in occupation: BT230001 [Lecture notes]. Dunedin, New Zealand: Otago Polytechnic, Department of Occupational Therapy.

This overall experience has been a lot of fun and i hope that you have enjoyed it as much as i have!!

BYE BYE

A Wise Lady and Ambience

I have always liked Nigella Lawson as a cook. She combines new and old recipes well and says things how they. You could say she is a traditional cook with a bit of a twist. I believe that traditions are key to cooking agree with a quote that was discussed in Participation One: New technologies are never totally superior to the older technologies they attempt to replace (Sunderland, 2011). This relates to cooking as new tools used within cooking do not necessarily make food taste better, new processed foods are not better for you and old fashioned recipes are likely to produce affordable and long lasting food. Nigella has said many things that have influenced my decisions around cooking but the following i think is very appropriate to my blog

“Cooking has many functions, and only one of them is about feeding people. When we go into a kitchen, indeed when we even just think about going into a kitchen, we are both creating and responding to an idea we hold about ourselves, about what kind of person we are or wish to be. How we eat and what we eat lies at the heart of who we are – as individuals, families, communities”
                                                                                                                          - Nigella Lawson (2004).

I think that this quote sums up how i feel about cooking very well!

This then leads me on to ambience. Ambience is described as a feeling or mood associated with a particular place, person or thing (Sunderland, 2010). After considering this, i view my own ambience as a large part of why i cook. As i have stated in previous posts, i love to cook because i find it relaxing. I now believe this is because of how i feel which is normally associated with a place, person or thing. For example i get more joy and relax more when i am using my great great grandfathers recipes or when i make a meal that i have had in the past on a fun or special occasion. An example of this is i love to make an unusual pizza i had when my family and i were in Fiji. I love making it because it brings back memories of that fun holiday and especially that particular day. It makes me want to return to Fiji and work harder in life so i can do so. I have many examples like this when ambience is a apart of my cooking.

Lawson, N. (2004). Feast:Food that celebrates life. London: Chatto & Windus.(
this quote was also presented in BT127001 lecture notes)

Sunderland, J. (2010). Adaptive living occupation: BT127001 [Lecture notes]. Dunedin, New Zealand: Otago Polytechnic, Department of Occupational Therapy.

Sunderland, J. (2011). Participation in occupation: BT230001 [Lecture notes]. Dunedin, New Zealand: Otago Polytechnic, Department of Occupational Therapy.

                                                         

My Comments

I am having difficulty commenting on others blogs and so far no one has been able to fix this problem. So here are the comments I would make if i could:

On Kendyls Blog;
This is a very interesting post kendyl. I really enjoyed the video and that you commented on adjusting things to suit you. I also do this when cooking. Your lucky to have found a job that you enjoy so much!

On Janine's Blog:
You make some very interesting comments. i was never made to do the dishes as punishment, and as we normally use a dishwasher, i dont mind handwashing the dishes. But your right, things have certainly come a long way, men are almost expected to chip in and help out with the dishes.

On Judith's Blog:
I am really enjoying your blog Judith. I believe that knitting is a good way to fill in time. However, I am too impatient for it! You make a good point about your activity leading onto other activities. This had made me think about the other activities involved with my activity of cooking. I agree with Janine...it wold be lovely to see some finished pieces of knitting!

On Shilmoni's Blog:
I think its wonderful that you not only take such pride i your cooking but also that food is an important part of your evening routines.You noted that consumption of food needs discipline, I believe that this is a very interesting point as a lot of people do not think about this as they eat wheatever is easiet to access and do not like wasting food so they eat far too much.

A new way of Cooking

In the holidays I went home and decided that it was time to make a big chocolate cake with proper ingredients – the last time I made something was in my flat and I had to use mashed banana instead of eggs, cheap chocolate drops instead of high percentage cocoa chocolate and we didn’t have a sieve for the flour or measuring cups and as I result it was a major fail! – So at home I checked and organised the ingredients the night before making the cake as I would be getting up extra early to make it as I was supposed to be starting work on the farm at 8am. This went well and I went to bed looking forward to baking something that would be appreciated by friends and family once it was completed. However, the next morning when I got up I was told that I was no longer needed on the farm as it was pouring down with rain. So I went back to bed and was thankful that the process of making the cake would now be less stressful. I started making the cake just before 10am and everything was going well. I was happy to be back in a familiar environment and to be able to use ingredients and equipment that would result in a better looking and tasting cake (fingers crossed). While mixing the cake i thought about i what i had learnt so far in this course. I recognised that the activity that i was completing was a form of labour as its main purpose was for consumption, and as i stated earlier the familiarity within the task was comforting and beneficial. This fits within ergonomics and because i was so familiar with the environment i was able to adjust this task for the better (this was required as stated further on). I also thought about fulfilling my need of being creative while i was able to. It had been a long time since i was able to do so as i am restricted with this in my flat. However, my plans were soon changed when my dad came in from work and said he was taking me to town for lunch. I had only just got the cake in the oven and it would take at least 1 and a half hours to cook and it was now 10:30am (we had to back from town by 1 to start work). I didn’t want to turn down the offer so I decided to turn the oven temperature up. Thankfully, i know the tricks with our oven and so this adjustment did not affect the outcome of the cake! That night after work i knew that the cake needed to be iced before we went our for dinner as i was giving it to family friends that were going to dinner with us. I thought i had plenty of time but i didn’t get off the farm until 6pm and we had to leave within 20 minutes. Not enough time for me to get ready and ice the cake...well so i first thought. Luckily i had measured out the ingredients needed for the icing after lunch so the task was sped up. I got help from my mum and we iced the cake in no time at all (it even looked presentable)! After all this rushing around, the cake was muchly appreciated and it also looked and tasted ok!

As described within a previous post on affordance, I typically find cooking to very peaceful and can complete the task without any interruptions. This fits within part of my spiritual self as i believe cooking can be therapeutic as for me it releases stress, improves concentration and can be very health beneficial. However, this was not the case this time and I now know that although i love to cook as it is relaxing, i can still enjoy it when i am in a hurry. This is because i have still achieved something and it can be enjoyed by myself and others through either viewing it or eating it.

Cupcakes

Today i thought i would share an area of cooking that i enjoy a lot - baking cupcakes! I first started becoming interested in baking different types of cupcakes and decorating them about 3 years ago. I try new recipes at home for my family and spend a lot of time perfecting the end result so i can give cupcakes as gifts.

Here is a recipe that i use to make basic vanilla cupcakes (i had to combine a few recipes before i found one that i liked)

115g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
140g self raising flour, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 200C. beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. gradually add the eggs and beat. Fold in flour. Stir in vanilla extract and milk. Spoon into 12 paper cases and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Here is a picture of a cupcake i made for a friend the other day using this recipe.

The need for cooking

After discussing the need for my occupation of cooking in class, i narrowed my choices down to one. Creativity. Over the years my combination of cooking and creativity has developed a lot. There are many reasons for this and why cooking meets my need of wanting to be creative.

- I did not enjoy typical creative activities such as painting or sewing as i was not good at these
- Other creative activities such as photography, were interesting but too costly
- I grew up in an environment that involved non stop cooking as my mum did and still does get up early to cook meals and baking for us and others.
- Living on a farm i was always able to make what i wanted as ingredients were always available close by.
- I was always encouraged by my family and teachers to use cooking as an area to push the boundaries.
- I have been fortunate enough to experience fresh foods from many different cultures, which has expanded my view on colour, texture and taste of foods.
- I also have many memories within my life where cooking has been positive and influential on my decisions.

These, are just some reasons why i am able to use cooking as a way of being creative. Currently, ergonomics plays a large part in my cooking and creativity as i am a poor student. I have limited money to spend on ingredients and cooking tools. However, this has taught me to be creative in new ways. The planning of the meal is know the key creative aspect of my cooking, rather than putting together the end result.

The need for occupation

In this tutorial we discussed the overall need for occupation and how this is relevant to our own activities. The key point that i took away from this tutorial was that we all need something that will respond or fill an area within us/our lives. An example of this may be that in order to fulfil our creative needs we need to cook as when we cook we feel we can express our selves. For me, cooking is the one activity that i can complete in a structured way, whilst altering its taste, texture and colour to suit me or the consumer, therefore meeting my creative needs. Other needs that cooking fulfils within my life is self satisfaction, caring for others and the role as the giver. As cooking has always been a crucial part of human existence therefore there are many aspects within that are very familiar. However, it may be argued that traditional cooking is a thing of the past with takeaways and technology taking over. I believe that it is important to consider traditions within cooking whilst taking into account the improvements of tools and access to ingredients that is available today. I enjoy cooking with fresh ingredients from our farm and garden and mixing them with high quality ingredients both locally and from overseas. I enjoy the ease of creating something with cooking tools that are new and basic to use. These two factors combined make all cooking experiences a joy.  The following is the key points from the tutorial that i believe relate to cooking when discussing the need for occupation:

Labour
- survival
- we have to
- a way to make a living
- freedom from life stresses
- meditative
- societal expectations (organic food)
- memories with smell/de ja vu
- feel a connection

Work
- improving aesthetics

Play
- making a statement
- playing a role
- nature is king

Work

Throughout my time studying Occupational Therapy, work has been discussed often and i now view it differently. Rather than viewing it as a daily necessity to earn a living, i see it as a large part of everything that we do including: values, culture, self expression, spirituality, creating and learning, and workmanship. I have also learnt that work and labour are two different things. Arendt (1958) describes work as activity that involves unnatural things within the world, whereas labour involves biological processes. I believe that although work is a very linear process, everyone can work very differently. Personally, i like to structure my work and i believe this helps me to be creative and work harder. However, i know that not everyone works this way, especially when being creative. I believe that the unnatural part of our world is something that we have great control over, and therefore should alter it so it is beneficial, interesting and enjoyable to each of us.

Arendt, H. (1958). The human condition (2nd ed.). Chicago: Chicago University Press.

Affordance

It has taken me a while to understand what affordance means within my topic of cooking. However, after discussing this further in class today i feel that i have a better understanding of it. As a way to understand it i was asked to think about the last thing i cooked and relate it to the areas within affordance. This is what is came up with:

My understanding of affordance is that it is something that comes out of an activity, in my case cooking. Hagedorn (2000) describes it in more detail, stating that it is "anything which the environment can offer the individual which is pertinent to role challenge and can facilitate role competence" (p. 51).

The last time i cooked was last night when i made dinner with my flatmate. This meal took a lot of preparation and planning, but it was a lot of fun.
Communication was a large part of what was involved with cooking this meal. My flat mate and i discussed what we felt like cooking, joked that we didn't have enough money to pay for the meal, and had to motivate each other to go the the supermarket to get the main ingredient of falafel. The preparation of this meal - which involved walking to and from the supermarket, buying added ingredients and cutting up the ingredients - was the largest stage for communication as it involved jokes, sharing interests, talking about what to do in the weekend etc. The actual task of cooking the meal was more structured as we discussed how to cut things up and how long to cook the ingredients for. This involved learning new techniques, respecting each others choices, non verbal communication and negotiating with one another. I find that working with someone else, especially with cooking, it is crucial that you can communicate well as this not only makes the experience easier but also more enjoyable.
Health was also a large part of cooking this meal. Myself and my flatmate have an understanding of preparing a meal with fresh ingredients, on a clean and clear surface, using clean tools. This is something that we automatically are aware of or do as we know that not being aware of these can cause injuries, illness and can make the task stressful.
Other areas that are important to consider when looking at the task of cooking and affordance are Connections - gathering and borrowing tools and ingredients, using the task as a way to express my creative side, and ensuring that i meet the expectations that i or others have as this causes a greater sense of achievement once the meal is completed,
Spirituality - taking into account my values involving cooking, acknowledging that when i cook i am relaxed, enjoying the experience and that it has a sense of meaning to me.

Looking back at what i have write about this particular cooking experience, and that i have identified that communication was the key area that come from this activity, i can see how this may be different in other cooking situations. For example, when i am baking i enjoy doing this alone and find it very peaceful and it tends to connect with someone because i am uses a recipe that has been passed down, cooking for someone, or using what i have learnt from my mother. Therefore, i found these experiences tend to be more spiritually involved. I know see that affordance is a very important area to consider when cooking.

Hagedorn, R. (2000). Tools for practice in occupational therapy: A structures approach to core skills and processes. London: Churchill Livingstone.

Labour

The main focus of our lecture today was on labour. I found this lecture to be very useful as a lot of it related to my activity of cooking. Cooking is found under the heading of labour instead of work or play because the end result is for eating which is a necessity in life. It took me while to comprehend this as i considered cooking to be play as i enjoy it so much and use it as a way to be creative and to express myself. However, at the end of the day it is crucial for survival and i can see this more obviously on my off days when i am tired and unmotivated and would prefer others to cook for me. Green (1968), describes the relationship between labour and food as "the gathering of nourishment, however, is not only necessary; it is also endless. Once done, it must be done again. Answering as it does to the requirements of life itself, it can end only with the end of life. The purpose of this activity  is to provide for the seeds of consumption: food is taken from the earth, after all, in order to be consumed". Although this quote is decades old, i believe it is still very relevant today. When i am not in Dunedin i live on a farm and have an understanding of how much labour is involved with the production of foods including, fruit, vegetables, grains, milk and meats. It is very time consuming and is both mentally and physically challenging. However, this has caused both my family and myself to be more appreciative of food and the process of cooking. My up bringing has taught me to enjoy labour, especially cooking, as it is an important part of my life, not just for survival.

Green, T. F. (1968). Work, leisure and the American schools. New York: Random House.

Cooking influences

In our lecture on work there were discussions about what references would be appropriate to the activity that we were doing. It was suggested that the film Julie and Julia would be a good reference for cooking. I had watched this film not long ago and afterwards i had decided to make a meal based on a recipe from mastering the art of french cooking. In this film, Julie is influenced by Julia Child's passion for cooking. After watching this film some may believe that Julie seems obsessed with Julia stating "I wish i was more like her" (Ephron, 2009), but i believe that she sees Julia's love for cooking and wants this for herself. Julie's own life was heavily influenced by one person, Julia, whereas i believe that my decisions around cooking are influenced by many people and many things. When i decide to cook and what i do cook is normally influenced by what i have recently seen. This works the same when choosing a recipe. I will always choose a recipe that involves a picture that i consider to be appealing. I am more influenced to try a new recipe based on what it looks like rather than what ingredients are in it or what others comments are about it. I think that i am most influenced when i comes to cooking than any other areas of my life. Although i still make the decision of what and when to cook i believe that what i have seen my mum cook in the past and what i see in recipe books influence me the most.

Ephron, N. (Director). (2009). Julie and Julia [Motion picture]. United States: Columbia Pictures.

Ergonomics

I think that ergonomics is important when considering my activity of cooking. From past experiences i know how difficult it is to cook in a kitchen that has unfamiliar set up or uses different cooking tools. This can make the task at hand both awkward and time consuming. This issue is often seen when carrying out a kitchen assessment. In my past placements there have been many discussions around whether in ward kitchen assessments provide an accurate overview of the clients level of ability. This is because not only may the client be in a new environment but they also may be asked to carry out a task that they are not familiar with or a task they complete in a different way to what is considered 'normal'. As Caulton and Dickson (2007) discuss, activities need to be constantly adjusted to meet the needs of those involved with the particular activity as this will ensure that activities intended purpose is met. I believe this to very important, not just when cooking but when completing all tasks.

So far i have been involved with my activity of cooking most days. I have either felt the need to experiment and cook something new and exciting or i have cooked dinner with my flatmates. Most meals that i have made has involved different ingredients and methods of cooking. As i am more familiar with my environment than earlier in the year, i find it easier to adjust and take notice of certain cues to cook a meal. Cooking normally begins with a verbal cue of someone stating that they are hungry but this can normally be due to another cue such as an advert on TV about food, a rumbling stomach or smells from others cooking. The activity of cooking means a lot more to me know that i think about it in more detail. I have used what i have learnt in my course so far to evaluate each time i am involved in cooking. An example of this is the Person, Occupation and Environment framework. After making pasta the other night i was considering these three components:

Person - i was very relaxed as my flatmate and i were making the pasta together (which meant a smaller work load) and we had made this meal before several times so it was very familiar.
Occupation - the steps that we used to cook this meal were semi structured as we allocated tasks to each other, but we did not follow a recipe. We also tended to swap tasks every now and then such as cutting up onions.
Environment - this activity was made slightly more difficult as our kitchen was not clean. this meant that space was restricted and our first choice of equipment to make the meal was not available. However, the main components of our environment such as our oven, were not effected by this so the meal didn't take too much longer than normal to make.

These three areas are very helpful to use to think about before, during and after completing a task. I may consider them more in the future before starting to make a meal as it may mean the task is completed in a more effective way.

Participation in Occupation 2

Welcome to the second part to my Participation in Occupation paper. Participation in Occupation 2 focuses on my reflections of experiences involved with an activity of my choice. In our tutorial this week we discussed what activities are meaningful to us, what activities we do each day and what area these activities fit into. After discussing these points I have decided to focus on the activity of cooking!

Cooking

From a young age i have always been interested in cooking. I grew up with my mum cooking every meal from scratch, normally with fresh ingredients from her garden and off our farm. I always enjoyed helping mum with preparing meals and she has taught me just about everything i know about cooking. I believe that cooking is great example of teaching and learning as it can be done in many different ways, as everyone learns, teaches, and cooks differently. I have especially been aware of this when travelling as traditions are a big part of cooking. In cooking, measurements, methods, ingredients and recipes  can vary from country to country and from family to family. From my experiences, i believe that recipes can easily be adapted to suit the consumer. My mum has taught me what ingredients can substitute others, to slowly introduce flavours that are new to those eating it and that if something doesn't seem right, change it so you are happy with it. Growing up i was very fortunate to be able to experience seasonally fresh ingredients. This has lead me to finding cooking as something that is very expressive. I believe that you can tell a lot about a person by what colors, tastes, and textures they use. I chose the topic of cooking most importantly as i find it very relaxing. I cook almost everyday and find that after cooking something, no matter how simple it is, it is very rewarding. I have decided that i am going to cook 5 nights a week in my flat. This will sometimes be alongside my flat mates. I find it a challenge to prepare meals in my flat as not all ingredients are available due to cost. Cooking and OT link as cooking can be used as a way to grade someones level of independence and also give others a greater understanding of ones culture, belief and traditions. I am looking forward to furthering my skills as i believe cooking is a very important area of occupational therapy.

Overview

Now that I have completed my blog tutorials I can see the links between occupational therapy and technology clearly. I am looking forward to completing my course and finding out more technologies that can be used in OT and applying them to certain situations. This course has increased my confidence in both understanding and using technology. I have also been interested in reading blogs but until now I have never been interested in creating my own blog but I am now considering it. For anyone that has spent time viewing or reading my blog, i hope you enjoyed it and have learnt something useful.

BYE

Tutorial Eight

Assistive technology is used to improve, increase or maintain an individuals functional capabilities through the use of devices, products or equipment (Gerard, 2001). Assistive technology is also known as adaptive technology and is commonly used with occupational therapy. Assistive technology products are used to allow individuals with disabilities to carry out activities of daily living in many areas including communication, education, work, recreation (Rehab Tool, 2004). Assistive devices are used to improve an individuals physical and mental functioning. This may be through preventing a decrease in the condition, strengthening an area or improving the individuals knowledge(Rehab Tool, 2004). I understand assistive technology to be something that not only enables participation for individuals with a disability but it also provides individuals with independence, a sense of accomplishment and increases their quality of life.

One piece of equipment that i found to very interesting in the assistive technology tutorial was the apple ipad. It can be used in a variety of ways and can be adjusted to be age appropriate. There were games that could be used to asses many areas including hand and eye co-ordination, speed, level of concentration, and many more. Although this product retails at around $500 (depending on the version), it can be used daily in certain settings and will last a long time if treated and handled correctly (Nusca, 2010) - image below. Overtime this product can improve an individuals level of functioning both physically and mentally as it provides a range of tools that can be easily downloaded. A more in depth overview on the apple iPad can be found here.

 This is a clip that i found on youtube that explains the basics about the apple ipad. It is definitely worth a look if you are unsure of how the ipad is an assistive device that can be used in OT practice.

Gerard, D. (2001, December 17). What is assistive technology? Retrieved from http://www.rehabtool.com/forum/discussions/1.html

Nusca, A. (2010, January 27). Apple iPad tablet: specs, features, price announced. Retrieved from  http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/apple-ipad-tablet-specs-features-price-announced/11721

Rehab Tool. (2004). Assistive technology. Retrieved from http://www.rehabtool.com/at.html



Tutorial Seven

I have made comments on five different blogs from students in my dunedin course that I was interested in. The links to their blogs are as follows;

Janine
Ashley
Kylie
Annie
Kendyl

Tutorial Six

PHOTOGRAPHY

Flickr
Flickr is an easy accessible tool that allows people to share and view photographs and videos of their choice. The flickr service has two main goals. They want to help people from all over the world, make their photos available to those who are important to them. Secondly, flickr has been created to allow a new way that photos and videos can be organised. I have been interested in flickr for quite a while, but have only recently created a flickr account. It is simple to use, and amazing to see talent of photographers and beauty of images from all areas of the world. As flickr is very popular, privacy regulations have been put in place. As an account holder you can choose who views you photos, easily update or delete photos, and default privacy settings/details about yourself and your photos. Flickr also has the right to terminate a users account if they breach copyright policies. This ensures that photos that are viewed are unique and therefore hold more value for the creator and viewer.

http://www.flickr.com/

Blog
A blog that I religiously follow is Bleubird Vintage. I found this blog after becoming quite interested in this bloggers clothing range. Although this blog is quite a personal blog I am also interested to see what interesting photographs she puts up next. The photos are what attracted me to this blog and are defiantly the reason I keep returning and carrying out my love of photography. As the saying goes "a picture tells a thousand words". This blog allows me to keep up to date with my interests and provides me with a different perspective - not just from this blogger, but also from bloggers that post comments. Comment spaces on blogs allow the viewers to state their opinion and also connect viewers to their own or other blogs that they ma be interested.

PhotoTherapy discussion group
I have just discovered this discussion group online. It is a very interesting as it focuses on using phototherapy with a range of clients seeking occupational therapy intervention, including Anorexia Nervosa clients. Photo therapy can be used in many ways for a range of situations, but the main focus of it is to prove active change through photography. These photos can be of the client, others that important to them, the environment around them or randomly taken. In this discussion the author, Ellen Lamberg focuses on clients taking self portraits to reach a deeper emotional level in the client. This resulted in them positively seeing change, sharing thoughts and dealing with their concerns. I found this a very interesting topic as it involved my two key interests of Occupational Therapy and photography. Others can leave comments on this discussion and many have left interesting points. This is defiantly something that i will defiantly be interested in in the future.

The three above examples of online communities can be very interesting and educational if used correctly. All three communities require those who wish to leave comments or create topics of discussion to sign up to some form of account. This often requires personal information. It is possible that this information can be seen by others using the online service or those seeking information that will most likely be used inappropriately.  This raises ethical issues and emphasises the care that needs to be taken when sharing information online. However there is also the case of not sharing personal information which can lead to other issues. As some comments that are left on online communities are not always positive, it is harder to find out who these comments belong to, therefore making it hard for the author/creator to ban them from the social service. Those that do use the online communities correctly benefit in many areas that may include for educational, social and trialling purposes.

Tutorial Five

Youtube is a very popular internet website that was created in 2005. It allows billions of web users all over the world to discover, watch and share videos of their choice. It is used as a way for people to express, explore, advertise, inspire, create and distribute original videos from round the globe. There are certain restrictions and privacy policies that users must abide by. If these are not followed the users account will be terminated. However, when used correctly, youtube is an very entertaining way to view and share creativeness.

While I was on my first placement I was lucky enough to spend a day with a hand therapist. I really enjoyed my time in this environment and was amazed at how different each condition was that the therapist attended to. Recently in one of my classes we have been discussing hand therapy. This has made me realise that branching off to a particular part of OT might be something I should consider in the future as I enjoyed the focusing solely on one particular part of the body, without limiting my knowledge, involvement and OT intervention. Here are some videos off youtube that explains hand therapy a bit more.

This video provides different examples of hand therapy and shows how it can link in with other therapy's to have a positive impact on the clients rehabilitation.

This video reminded me of an issue that i discussed with my supervising hand therapist. I was told that many different 'games' could be used for assessment on a variety of clients, however it was important to ensure that the materials used in the assessment were age related. I am unsure whether the materials in this clip were. I believe that having a restricting condition can be shameful enough for some clients without suggesting they carrying out a 'game' that they may have performed in early stages of their life. I think this is a very important point to consider.

This video shows the beginning stages of hand therapy that a client is receiving. Although the therapy seems to be very basic, it is important to begin small as once this exercise has been mastered it provides confidence for the client and assists in making harder tasks easier to grasp.

This video empahsises how important your hands are in everyday tasks and how difficult life is when they are not working to thier full capacity. It also provides a good example of numerous activities that can be used in hand therapy. Although it does also include other areas of Occupational Therapy it provides a great quote at the beginning of the video which I think is very appropriate to hand therapy.

"Man, thorugh the use of his hands

as they are energized by mind and will

can influence the state of his own health"

- MARY REILLY                                

           

This video demonstrates another point that I learnt while spending time in hand therapy on placement. It is very interesting and something that can be carried at home so the client can speed up their recovery if followed correctly. It is very interesting as it shows how the brain can influence the recovery of a client.

Technology and OT education

Here is a clip that I found on youtube. It is very interesting. It proves technology is great for communication and education - although the technology in this clip isn't working very well. Take a look it is worthwhile. This is only the first part (the others can be reached using the links on youtube).

Occupational Therapy Group Video - interesting

Here is a video that I found on youtube. It has been created by a group sending an interesting message about Occupational Therapy. Its worth a watch.

Tutorial Four

Tutorial Four

Creating our own Occupational Therapy video was interesting. We were split into groups and told to make videos that combined occupational therapy and our own interests. Our group struggled to come up with an idea that could be produced in such a short time with limited resources. We decided to follow the theme of drinking responsibly and making it more interesting by incorporating our own thoughts around drinking in Dunedin.

Our video took a while to complete because we had never used the video programme before and we needed to edit it so it could be completed. Although our video fits in more with our interests rather than occupational therapy, it has taught me a lot bout planning and creating videos. I think so will be very useful for future studies and practice. Here is our video in the following post.....

Tutorial Three

I have now created a flickr account and added some pictures. They are shown on the side of my blog. Here is my favourite. It is a picture of myself and family on our farm, standing far from a bonfire - due to the heat - at night time.



Tutorial Two

Digital images can be stored in a number of ways. The most common forms of storage are in computer files, photo disks, or on camera memeroy cards. As these forms of storage are not always reliable, it is very common that digital images are saved on numerous storage devices. This then allows more memories to be kept in a more affordable way.

Software that I use daily and are most familiar with is itunes and Microsoft programmes such as word. These softwares are easy to use and have only been slightly modified over the years. Therefore, it is easy to continue using them when I have updated to newer versions in the past. Hardware that i am very familiar with is my USB flash drive, and of course my laptop and printer that I am constantly using for my studies.

Digital Cameras

Digital cameras are the most common form of cameras these days and can be used for still pictures and videos. The camera below is an example of a basic digital camera sold ny the popular brand Kodak. It is very common for digital cameras to be created to target a certain age or group of individauls. This is done through colour, size, simple usage and extra benefits such as being waterproof.

Retrieved March 28, 2011 from http://www.bidjeeto.com/auctions/view/80

Retrieved March 28, 2011 from http://www.nigel-roberts.info/photography.htm

The above camera is one of the first models introduced by kodak. It is one of my favourite cameras as they are very rarely used now. However, they are very popular for collectors and some photographers. I have a collection of old cameras and the Six-20 Brownie C camera shown above is in the best condition and is still usable. This link is an example of a manaul explaining how to use the Six-20 Brownie C and D models.

Video Cameras

Video cameras are used to capture motion pictures. They were first developed in the 1930s and have become increasingly popular since then. Video cameras are now used alongside many other devices such as cellphones and itunes. This allows the user to capture memorable moments that they can easily acess, save, transfer, revisit or delete. The picture below is an example of four devices that can capture videos that a commonly used today.

Retreived March 28, 2011 from http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10296694-52.html

“A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature”

There is often discussions around whether new or old technologies are superior in areas such as performance, personal preference, quality and significance of memories. Personally, I enjoy how acessable and easy digital cameras are to use. Digital cameras also allow many pictures to be kept and shared with others. However, I aslo find this to be a weakness of new technology. In the past pictures fewer pictures were taken and have been passed on and treasured as each picture holds value and meaning. Another reason that I find old cameras to be special is the way they were cared for. These days it is common for cameras to break easily, and because they are so accessible another, often improved version is bought as a replacement. I believe this is influencing camera owners to forget how special technologicy and instead they are expecting easy access to new and improved models. The importance of memories is also being lost as pictures are distributed on the internet for all to see, rather than having one copy of each image. This is also causing problem with privacy as pictures are often distributed innapropriately. Here is one of my favourite family pictures.

Lastly, digital images can be used positively in Occupational Therapy Practice. Images can be used to show a visable condition, the progress of an individual, housing modifications, and equipment that are or can be used. These points can be helpful for a number of reasons. They can be used for others to refer to, give a clear understanding, and assist in note taking or further OT intervention.

Tutorial One

Occupational therapy has many important links, technology being one of them. Technology provides us with both advantages and disadvantages within our daily structure. It controls the level of ease and pace in which we do things. Due to this it has changed my outlook on life. Information Technology (IT) is a large portion of technology. According to Tech Terms, information technology refers to "anything related to computing technology, such as networking, hardware, software, the internet, or the people that work with these technologies”.  I have learnt a lot about technology within my OT course, mainly focusing on its effects. Therefore, my understanding of IT is that it is a form of technology that allows us to explore, communicate and educate ourselves and others around the world from the comfort of our own computers.  Oak tends to agree with stating that “today, internet is part of every sphere of life".


Retrived March 12, 2011 from www.buzzle.com/articles/positive-effects-of-internet.html
Retrieved March 12, 2011 from www.techterms.com/definition/it


There are many different forms of IT that are proving to be popular, especially when communication is involved. Personally, I am not that great at using IT to communicate with others, but I feel that it is an important to extend my knowledge in this area because at times it seems the only way to keep in touch with people.  Blogs are a form of IT communication that I really enjoy. This is my first blog attempt, but I do follow other blogs and find them to be a very interesting form of communication.

As I have previously pointed out IT is a part of many areas in life, including occupational therapy. IT provides that benefit both the patient and the client. Examples of this are; easy access to past client notes, required communication to liaise with others including doctors and the client, assessment material, condition/disease overview, assessments, etc.

There are many areas of concern for some when it comes to the ethical implications around capturing, sharing and transferring information using IT devices. Privacy and informed consent are the two main points that come to mind. The internet is very useful but it can also be very invading of people’s privacy if not used correctly. Accounts, messages and personal information can all be found and distributed all over the net for the viewing of others. Also, all information that is on the internet can be copied for the use of others. However, this is often done without the informed consent of the creator and can be used incorrectly.

Intellectual property is a term which refers to creations and innovations by individuals that can be protected under national law and by international treaties. This includes things such as copyright.

Retrieved March, 12, 2011 from http://www.iponz.govt.nz/cms/what-is-ip/what-is-intellectual-property

Social justice means that equal justice should be present in all aspects of society – not just in court. This gives everyone equal rights and opportunities.

Retrieved March, 12, 2011 from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-social-justice.htm

Informed consent is the right that all individuals have to be told everything. It is part of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers Rights - right 7.

Retrieved March 12, 2011 from http://www.healthpoint.co.nz/default,6321.sm